1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the management of broadcast messaging systems, such as messaging systems that are used in a computer network to alert terminals on the network to a problem or to a condition or an event that requires attention.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, broadcast messaging systems are used in a variety of contexts to simultaneously alert multiple users of the existence of a condition that has occurred. Probably the most common context in which such systems are utilized is in connection with a computer network. In this case, an error condition occurring on the network, such as the failure of a network component or the unavailability of a service, sometimes will be detected automatically by a central server. In response to such a detection, the central server might broadcast a message to some or all terminals on the network, notifying the users of the existence of the detected condition. Such notification often serves two distinct purposes: (i) notifying the users that the affected functionality is unavailable so that alternate arrangements should be made and (ii) notifying the appropriate staff (e.g., the technical staff) that the problem should be corrected.